The case for the defence

Sports writer

Thursday 11 October 2012

The focus has always been on Scotland's attacking options.

Macedonia's Nikolche Noveski scores past Allan McGregor during the World Cup qualifier in September. 'Apart from that goal, which was offside, I've been quite solid,' insists Christophe Berra. Picture: SNS

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Richard Wilson

Often enough, Craig Levein has enthused about the players he can deploy out wide and up front, almost as a way to deflect attention from his defence. It is not an area of the team that generally lets him down, but there are fewer options to pick from and his choices can seem threadbare at times.

Injuries have deprived the Scotland manager on this occasion, with Phil Bardsley and Steven Whittaker out of contention. Danny Fox will play at left-back by default, and Alan Hutton will line up on the other flank despite having been marginalised at Aston Villa. Levein does have a decision to make at centre-back, since Andy Webster and Christophe Berra formed a solid partnership in the opening two World Cup qualifying games – a 0-0 draw with Serbia and a 1-1 draw with Macedonia – but Gary Caldwell is likely to be moved back into defence from his holding midfield role.The deliberations are significant, since both Wales and Belgium will need to be contained in the double-header that begins in Cardiff tomorrow night. Caldwell is guaranteed a place, with Webster more able in the air and Berra quicker over the ground. The latter has also regularly faced many of the attackers he would come up against in these international games, having played for three seasons in the Barclays Premier League with Wolverhampton Wanderers, before the Midlands club were relegated last May."It's down to the manager to make that decision who plays at centre-half," Berra said. "We've all done well in the past games; from a personal point of view I don't think I've let the team down. I've got more consistent and I've been steady in the last two games. Apart from the Macedonia goal, which was offside, I've been quite solid. "It's not just the back four, it starts from the forwards and all the boys in front of you. We've all helped each other and, if we can be solid like that in the next couple of games, it gives us a chance to create those opportunities. It's a good platform to build on."No matter what country you play for, the defence always comes in for [criticism]. Strikers can miss a gilt-edged chance and nothing gets written about it. But if a defender makes a mistake, it's back-page headlines. That's the price you pay for being a defender. You get used to it, you need to be thick-skinned. I'll make mistakes in the future and will continue to do that, but everyone does, top players do, and it's the only way you're going to get better. Defence is the last line and you don't always get the headlines, but you do the dirty work and it helps the team."Scotland fans reacted with disdain to the opening two draws of the campaign, but Wales suffered greater woes. They lost to Belgium and Serbia, the latter being a 6-1 defeat, and the manager, Chris Coleman, is under increasing pressure. Wales have only scored one goal in 2012, they have not won a match under Coleman, and he recently replaced Aaron Ramsey as captain with Ashley Williams.The manager is at the mercy of results, but there is also the issue of the squad dynamic. His predecessor, Gary Speed, was popular with the players and the squad developed a profound sense of optimism. The grief following Speed's suicide was always going to be deeply-felt, but Coleman has not been able to revive the hopeful mood of the nation. The 6-1 defeat by Serbia seemed a glaring expression of turmoil within the squad. What cannot be known now, is how the players will react."We've probably all been there at one time or another," Berra said. "Sometimes a result like that can be a kick up the backside, you move on and go into the next game wanting to make up for that. But [if Scotland] keep on going the way we are, defend solidly and sneak a couple of goals at the other end, we know we've got a good chance. We also know they've got good players, and them getting beat 6-1 is maybe a slight hiccup. We'll go there feeling confident."There's a massive pressure on both nations, but players thrive on that and we've got to go out and perform. International football is a ruthless business and you've got to get victories. When it's against one of the home nations, it adds a bit of spice and we'll be going there looking forward to the game. I know the Welsh fans are very patriotic and it's going to be a great atmosphere. "A lot of games can be the toss of a coin, you know – hit the post, or not – and it's such a fine margin to qualify for those major tournaments. And, especially in our group, but we still have a chance because we're only two points off top spot and if we win against Wales, the whole outlook is different."

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The case for the defence

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